What She Loves
by nodelinquent
Summary: Karai and Leonardo were both raised by Oroku Saki. When he dies, Leo takes over as the new Shredder and leader of the Foot Clan, Karai becoming his second-in-command. But the change brings hidden feelings into light, which only escalate when they travel to New York to settle a conflict. 2012 AU, Leonardo/Karai. Part 1 in a series.
1. What She Remembers

**This is a short story I'm working on in between writing on my more serious, longer Leorai story. I'll try to update weekly, and sorry that this first part is so short, I'll make up for it by posting the second part this weekend. Enjoy!**

**The cover art is one I commissioned from mars-jorie on tumblr.**

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><p><strong>1.<strong>

_Karai doesn't remember how they found her - she only knows what they told her._

_A fire had engulfed her house, and it was already a raging blaze when Oroku Saki and his soldiers came there. Hamato Yoshi and Tang Shen had been loyal members of the Foot Clan, enemies had attacked them in the night, set their house on fire, expecting them all to perish in the flames._

_And they did, Hamato Yoshi and Tang Shen died that night._

_But their 3-year-old daughter, Karai, did not._

_And that's who the Shredder found, standing outside the house, covered in soot and grime, still in her sleeping garments, wailing to the skies with tears and snot running down her face. She only quieted to sniffles and sobs when she saw them come over to her. Oroku Saki adopted her, let her into his home and made her his daughter._

_That is what they told her happened, she doesn't remember, doesn't remember her parents, doesn't remember the men that killed them, doesn't remember Shredder or any Foot ninjas from that night._

_But there is something she remembers, a faint, dream-like memory. Sometimes she wonders if it's an actual memory or just a delusion, something she made up a long time ago and have mistaken for a memory._

_It's the light from the flames, casting large shadows that dances over the ground. It's the smell of smoke, suffocating, making her cough and cry even harder than she already was. Then he comes. _

_It looks like he walked through the fire to get to her. A large, blurry figure that kneels before her, holds out his hand, grey eyes calm and reassuring. The vision fades into her clinging to his neck, his strong arms carrying her away from the fire, his rough skin tickling her cheek._

_Yes, she remembers him. _

_She remembers _Leonardo.


	2. What She Believes

**I said I would post the next part this weekend. I lied. The next part will take a bit longer however, hope you guys like this one!**

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><p><strong>2.<strong>

The tantô fell out of her hand.

It was stupid, careless, a ninja didn't just _drop_ their weapon. But she did, and she didn't care. Her feet slammed against the ground when she ran through dark-lit corridors, almost colliding with Foot ninjas and servants as she flew past, everything around her was a blur, tunnel-vision pulling her forwards, the words echoing in her mind:

_Your Father was injured in battle._

It wasn't the message itself, but the way the Foot ninja had relayed it to her. This wasn't just a light cut, a broken leg or arm. This was something else, something serious, something _deadly_.

She burst into the hospital area, the doctors,nurses and patients jump in surprise, every head turned towards her,

"Where is he?" Her voice was strangely loud in the silence, Karai hardly recognized herself in it, "Where is Father?"

* * *

><p>Leonardo was sitting beside the bed, face solemn, sadder than she'd seen him in a long time. There was a strange pressure on her heart, as if someone was crushing it, and it sunk down in her gut, leaving her eyes watery and hands trembling. She wanted to rush forward, but her legs could barely carry her when she approached the bed. There was a chair for her there, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from her father.<p>

His burnt face was twisted in a grimace of pain, breathing shallow, a thick layer of bandages around his chest and stomach - a big, red spot in the middle. Karai finally sat down on the chair, placing her hand on his, "Father?" she said, trying to push down the lump in her throat.

Oroku Saki opened his eyes, which were glassy and unfocused until they managed to meet hers.

"My daughter," a raspy breath, "I am glad to be able to see you… one last time…"

Tears trickled down her cheeks, and she was unable to stop them, "No, no father, you will be alright."

He began to cough, a disgusting, gurgling sound that made Karai flinch. Blood spilled from the corner of his dry lips. Leo reached out, drying it carefully with a piece of cloth, "I have made... Leonardo my successor… he will take my name when I am gone…" Another cough, not as violent as the last, "and you, my daughter, will be his second-in-command."

"No," Karai shook her head, "please father," she swallowed, "please stay with us."

"It is out of my hands, my daughter," he lifted his hand, placing it weakly on her cheek. She took it, held it against her face until he expired.

She didn't know how long she sat there, time felt as if it had stopped, and she wished it had. Wished that she could stay in that moment so she wouldn't have to face the consequences of what came afterwards. But the spell was broken when Leonardo placed his hands on her shoulders, "Karai," he spoke, "let's put him to rest."

* * *

><p>The funeral and Leo's coronation took place on the same day.<p>

Karai felt numb through the entire process. There was a black hole in her heart, and it had been growing ever since father died. Sometimes she would think it had filled up, lessened in size, but then a memory came to her, something reminding her of her father, and the hole expanded again until she was hollow inside.

When she cried, Leo was there to hold her, stroking her back. He didn't say anything, no words of comfort or reassurances. Perhaps he knew they wouldn't have worked on her anyway. She clung to him, letting her tears fall freely, body rocking with muffled sniffles and sobs. Afterwards she would feel embarrassed. She didn't want Leo to think of her as weak or too emotional, she wanted him to see her as strong, reliable, capable to handle her new responsibility as second-in-command. The fact that he was so much older than her, thirty years against her twenty, didn't help her feel much like his equal already.

The only time she'd seen him cry was during the funeral. She'd glanced over to him, almost on accident, maybe subconsciously wanting to see his reaction to the burning pile before them. His cheeks were wet with tears, eyes closed and mouth turned down, jaws clenched as if he was trying to push it all down. She had taken his hand then. Held it.

He squeezed back just as tightly.

* * *

><p>He was intimidating, maybe even more so than father had been. It was his unnatural shape hidden beneath the armor and long cloak. which swept behind him wherever he walked. He couldn't wear the Kuro Kabuto - it was too small, didn't fit with the shape of his head at all - so they'd made a custom one with a similar design. For months it hurt her to look at him, and he seemed to acknowledge that, often coming to her out of his garment. But eventually she adapted, exposed herself to the new Shredder and accepted that it was not her father under that helmet.<p>

He ruled the Foot Clan just as good as their father, solving conflicts and completing missions flawlessly. Karai stepped into her new role as second-in-command, a role that Leo had previously held. It was satisfying to see ninjas quiver before her, bow when she walked past, listen to her every order with utmost attention.

The new position also meant that she had to spend more time with Leo, sitting with him during meetings and mission briefings, accompanying him on business trips or trades and fighting side by side with him during battle.

She found herself feeling warm inside whenever she managed to make him smile, whenever she impressed him with a wise suggestion or pulling off a complex move. She remembered the days from their childhood; his hands on her when he corrected her stance and his encouraging words and praise when she got it right. Sometimes, after an especially challenging day in the dojo, he'd take her outside where they'd sit in the garden by the pond, just enjoying the peace and silence. Leo would take out a chocolate bar, telling her his "fingers were too big to split it", so Karai would do it for him, and they'd share the chocolate while the sun set in the distance.

Those days were a distant memory now. When she turned eight, Leonardo became second-in-command. He'd still come by every once in a while, watch her train, smile and listen to her ramble about her day. But otherwise she would only see him when he and father returned late for dinner, and that was the only time they were gathered together as a family.

* * *

><p>Karai wasn't exactly sure when she first noticed, but she remembered one time that might have started it all:<p>

The Foot wasn't just a secret ninja clan, it was also a business - an organisation - and with that came a few obligations. Sometimes they needed "accomplices" for their activities, a way to both threaten and make the higher-ups aware of their power. Ever since Father died, Karai was sent to these kind of gatherings alone as the company's representative.

She admired herself in the mirror. The dark purple dress, splitting at the side of one of her thighs, revealing her long, slender leg, the hair piece keeping her hair in a simple but elegant knot - all of it looked perfect. She slid her hands along her figure, along the bumpy pattern of the embroideries on the fabric.

It was then that Leo came into the room.

They still shared an apartment, they always had, and he'd been waiting for her to get ready so he could take her to the party. None of that was anything strange. What _was_ strange however, was the way Leo was staring at her.

His eyes were wide,glowing in amazement and surprise. He seemed flustered, cheeks colored by a soft blush and his tongue sweeping nervously over his mouth.

And the fact that he was flustered made _Karai_ flustered. Heat crawled up along her neck, a shiver running down her spine and a tingly feeling in her stomach. Yet she swallowed it down, resisted the urge to start rubbing her arm, instead putting her hands on her hips and smirking; "So? How do I look?"

That seemed to snap him out of it, and he coughed awkwardly, "You look… great. Are you ready to go?"

* * *

><p>After that, things weren't the same.<p>

She often caught Leo staring at her, a thoughtful, lingering gaze that broke as soon as he realized she'd noticed. Whenever he came close, Karai's body reacted to it with a growing warmth inside her. She began to notice how his hands would sometimes stroke his shin, the way he carried himself when they walked together, the deep, soft tone of his voice when he spoke to her, and his eyes - his beautiful, grey eyes - shimmering like dark oceans.

It made her hyper aware of herself too, the way she had to take deep inhales sometimes when he was nearby, how her heart began to flutter, chest aching. Her body burned with the need to be closer to him, but she forced that urge down, only losing control of it during practice or other instances where her closeness had an excuse.

And while she couldn't be sure, it felt like he was doing the same, touching her more, shooting her smiles and held her gaze longer than necessary. But it might have all been in her head, an illusion that fit her newfound desire.

She couldn't help but wish it wasn't.

* * *

><p>"You look tired."<p>

"Not more tired than usual."

Leo dodged her punch with ease, and she blocked his counter without a second thought. They circled each other, feet meeting the ground at the exact same time, eyes never leaving one another.

"I heard rumors about some kind of trouble in the New York fraction of the Clan," she said, going back to circling him.

"Who told you that?"

"I might have been going through your messages."

Leo made a face, "You could have just asked."

"Where's the fun in that?" she said, then let out a yell, delivering several hits at once.

He blocked, grabbed her wrists, holding them tightly, "I would have told you anyway."

"Oh, really?" Karai leaned back, flipping Leo over, jumping back on her feet just as his shell slammed into the matt.

A grin spread on her lips as she looked down at him, reaching out a hand to help him up. He scoffed at her, but accepted the hand, "I was actually going to ask you to come with me to New York to fix it."

Her eyes widened, "Really?"

"Yes," Leo stood, rubbing his neck, "the situation is worse than we first thought, I'll bring Tiger Claw with as well."

"What about here at home?"

"The Foot Elite can handle things, especially after we settled that agreement with the Hamato Clan," he took a stance, "Ready for round two?"

Karai followed his example, "Ready to get beaten again?"

They went back to sparring, but Karai's mind was elsewhere. A trip to New York? She'd never been outside Japan before, the prospect of going to America was exciting - especially going there with Leo, even if Tiger Claw was going to accompany them. He was part of the Foot Elite and one of Leo's most trustworthy advisors, as he'd been to their father. Though she hadn't liked him initially, finding him arrogant and disrespectful towards her, she couldn't deny that his skills were an important asset to the Foot Clan.

Karai was snapped out of her thoughts when Leo knocked her over, climbed on top and pinned her down on the floor. They were both panting, and when she looked up at him she saw that he was close. Very, _very_ close. She could hear his steady breathing, hot against her lips, could see every bump and crevice on his glistening, green scales, his hand shaking against her wrists. He leaned down, and she moved her hands up to touch his cheeks, heart thumping loudly in her head.

Then they kissed.

Her eyes closed naturally, heightening the taste and feel of Leo's tongue inside her mouth, exploring it with gentle strokes, hesitant, soft - addicting. Karai responded, almost shyly. She'd never truly kissed someone, not like this, not with her every being tickling and her chest soaring. His hands were on her hips, smoothing up along her side, moving even closer, pressing against her with his weight. But she did not mind, just wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down, deepening the kiss.

He pushed away.

It was like being dropped into a pool of water without being allowed to take a deep breath. Her head spun with euphoria, body aching and lips sore. She was panting, and when she looked at Leo he was doing the same thing, hand pressing against his forehead.

"Leo, you.." she didn't know how to continue. In reality, she wasn't sure if what had happened had actually _happened_. But it had, it really had. She began to smile, "you kissed me."

Her smile dropped at his grim expression, "And it was a mistake," he sat up, the loss of his presence making her heart sink.

"A _mistake_?" She pushed herself up on her elbows.

"Yes," he stood, "a mistake."

Karai got up on her feet, "We both know it wasn't."

Leo shook his head. "It's not right, Karai, we can't do this ever again."

"Why not?" she asked, frustration seeping into her voice.

"You're like a sister to me, and I'm too old for you."

Karai let out a short laugh, "You're not too old for me. And do siblings kiss each other?"

"You know what I mean," he said, practically grinding his teeth, "I can't risk people thinking we have… _that_ kind of relationship."

She put her hands on her hips, "Why not?"

"They could use that against us, the Clan could think I'm favoring you-"

"That's already a thing! They know we have a strong connection, not only as master and second-in-command."

"That's not the same."

"What's _really_ holding you back, Leo?" her arms dropped to her sides, "Because this isn't it."

Leo frowned, a short silence before he answered; "These are my reasons. And we're not going to speak of this again."

Her blood boiled, anger flaring inside her, making her body tense and fingers dig into her palms, "Fine," Karai sneered, striding past him, "if that's what you want." Her steps echoed loudly in the silence when she barged out of the dojo.

She didn't know what hurt the most - what he'd just said or the fact that he didn't come after her.


	3. What She Wants

**I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG, I've been feeling awful lately and my beta was very busy with real life stuff so that also delayed it a bit. Anyway, hope you enjoy this part!**

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><p><strong>3.<strong>

The next couple of days were strained, to say the least.

Leo avoided her, and she avoided him. Every time Karai was forced to interact with him (and that was a lot considering her position), it left a bitter taste in her mouth, along with a deep sense of betrayal. And that was how she treated him - either with a slight glare or indifferent, cold stare, every conversation short and to the point and staying five feet away from him at all times. He seemed annoyed by her behavior, sometimes pursing his lips so tightly that Karai was waiting for them to melt together. Which was just fine with her, she just hoped he knew that he deserved it.

They didn't have an extensive talk until their trip to America was merely a week away, and even then it was mostly about practical things, such as traveling method and equipment and the work that needed to be done there. Apparently bigger gangs had formed in New York, and they were quickly taking over Foot Clan territory. One of the most prominent gangs were a bunch of thugs called the Purple Dragons, who'd grown in numbers after they got a new leader by the name of Hun. Previously their New York fragment had been especially successful, even expanding outside of the city, so it wasn't surprising that Leo would take matters into his own hands.

Despite everything that had happened, Karai was still excited for the trip. As their private jet closed in for landing, her legs bounced impatiently against the floor. She startled a bit when she felt a presence next to her, Leo leaning close.

"Excited?" he asked with a trying smile.

_Do you really think it's gonna be that easy? _But at least he was talking to her in a way he hadn't for a while, might as well humor him a bit. "Yes," She responded, not as cold as she usually had lately.

Leo gave her a genuine smile before leaning away.

Karai hated herself for wishing he'd lean in close again.

* * *

><p>The base of operations was in an abandoned church in a murky part of New York City.<p>

Karai found it to be a bit too theatrical, even for her father, but she had to admit it was quite intimidating. It only got more ridiculous and impressive when they stepped into the "throne room", the automatic doors opening with a sound that reminded her of an ancient tomb being opened rather than something modern. She raised an eyebrow at the throne room and its grandeur.

The man who had been put in charge of this establishment - Chris Bradford, a name that made Karai want to laugh - met them with a humble bow. Along with two Foot ninja standing behind him, there was also another man, a lot less muscular than Bradford but almost a head taller than the other. Karai's gaze was drawn to him, almost unwillingly, and their eyes met. He grinned at her, and a sense of satisfaction swept over her body.

_At least someone knows a good find when they see one._

"Master Shredder," Bradford said, snapping Karai out of her thoughts, "Forgive me for the trouble I've caused by forcing you to come here."

Leo narrowed his eyes at him. The man was taller than him, yet Leo still managed to make him shrink with his threatening aura, "Who is this?" he asked, looking at the man behind Bradford.

"This is my associate, Xever," Bradford answered, "He deals with the lower criminals and their activities. Recently, he's been gathering information on the Purple Dragons."

Xever bowed curtly, and Karai could tell he wasn't very used to the action. When he straightened up again, his eyes were still on her, and now she responded to his stare with a smirk of her own.

_Xever._ For some reason, she kept repeating the name in her head. _Xever_. It made her shiver.

Leonardo turned away from him and focused on Bradford again. "Oroku Saki established a strong base here," he said with an accusing tone, "and he entrusted you to keep it that way."

Karai could see Bradford's jaw tense, "I can assure you, I have done everything in my power to-"

"I'm relieving you of your position as command of this base. You will not do anything without my permission." he moved, standing half-turned away from Bradford but still nailing him with his gaze, "Is that understood?"

Bradford clenched his fists, then bowed, "Yes, Master Shredder."

Without another word, Leo left, cape sweeping behind him. Karai shot one last glance at Xever before following Leo, coming up next to him, smirking, "That went well."

"Incompetent fool," Leo muttered, "I'll have him replaced soon enough."

"So, what's the next step?"

"I'll need to inspect our operations."

"Good, I'll come with-"

"No. I need you to stay here," Leo stopped, finally looking at her, "Someone has to make sure Bradford follows my orders."

"What?! You're putting me on babysitting duty?"

"Think of it more as 'guard duty'."

_Sure, right._ "You're only doing this to avoid me."

"I'm not avoiding you," he said, voice dripping with annoyance, "I _do_ need you here."

"You could order Tiger Claw to do this, but you're not."

Leo sighed, "Karai…"

"Whatever, if you don't want me around, then fine," She strode past him, a slow, creeping feeling of infuriation filling her. Leo was acting as if she was the only one involved in that kiss - he seemed to have forgotten that _he_ had kissed her too.

* * *

><p>She did not sleep well.<p>

Perhaps it was the fact that Leo had been ignoring her after her last confrontation. He kept dancing around her, sending her and himself out on pointless missions and avoiding questions like they were impending drones of doom. It was driving her insane - and it was like that anger channeled into her dreams as well, because she woke up this morning, tense and with a terrible pain in her neck. During practice, she kept having to stop to massage it, but her reach was so poor she might as well have been brushing it with a feather.

Xever, who was conveniently training in the dojo at the same time as her (without a shirt, which Karai _really_ did not mind at all), observed her quietly, "You seem tense."

"My neck is killing me," Karai extended her arms over her head, muscles cracking. But the ache didn't go away, in fact it just multiplied when she moved her arms slightly to the left. With a sigh she let them drop, going back to rubbing her shoulder blades with the tip of her fingers.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance," Xever's hands were on her back, stroking up to her shoulders where he let his slender fingers take a steady grip. He massaged her shoulder blades with his thumbs, drawing soothing circles on her back and, god, it felt so _good_. She couldn't stop the moan that slipped out of her, and she definitely couldn't help leaning into his touch, melting under his skilled fingers.

"Wow," she sighed, humming, closing her eyes, "you're_ really_ good at this."

"I've had practice," his voice was next to her ear, and now his hands moved lower, to her sides, to her stomach, his arms pulling her into his embrace, pulling her against him, kissing the back of her neck and sending waves of desire through her body.

And that was when she saw Leonardo standing in the doorway.

Her heart skipped a beat, meeting his surprised stare that slowly turned into a look of poorly restrained anger, his fists clenched and his mouth became a thin line. A smirk began to spread on her face, a feeling of pure glee and malice making her all jittery inside.

Leo was jealous. So utterly _jealous_.

"Xever," she purred, putting all her seductive energy into every word, keeping her eyes on Leo, "I think I would like a massage like this more often."

"I would be happy to supply them," he said, and now his hands were creeping towards her breasts.

It seemed like Leo had had enough, "Xever," he boomed, striding into the room, looking especially intimidating and commanding as he did so. Xever backed away from Karai, lining up beside her to greet their master properly. Karai on the other hand put her hands on her hips, still smirking despite Leo's attempt to be scary and Shredder-y.

"I need you to fish out more information about where the Purple Dragons are planning their next strike", Leo said, then turned to Karai, "and I would like to speak with you. In private."

"Of course, _Master_ Shredder," she said, sending Xever a sultry look as he walked out of the dojo. He responded to it with a grin and slid the shades shut.

"What are you playing at?" Leo asked once Xever was gone.

"Me?" Karai said, fluttering her eyelids innocently, "I'm just spending some quality time with _Xever_." The last word was followed by a theatrical sigh, "He's very charming."

Leo was practically grinding his teeth in frustration, and Karai had to try extremely hard not to laugh at him, "You're only doing this to annoy me."

_Oh, how the tables turn,_ "No, Leonardo, I don't spend my days thinking of schemes to annoy you. I was actually enjoying Xever's company."

"Is that why you were looking at me like that earlier?" he asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Karai spun around, walking over to the bench and fetching her bottle of water. But she didn't even get a chance to take a sip before Leo was there, taking the bottle from her and slamming it down on the bench, putting his hand on the wall and stepping dangerously close to her.

"You're testing my patience, Karai," he spoke darkly, "and I don't like it one bit."

"So you don't want to be with me, but I can't see other people?" she narrowed her eyes, piercing him with her gaze, "you can't have it both ways, Leo."

He glared back at her, and they were stuck like that, facing each other down, faint noise of drizzle against the windows echoing in the silence. Karai refused to budge, wouldn't, no matter how long he insisted on giving her that look. He wasn't allowed to win this time, he wasn't going to slither his way out of it and leave her broken and confused. No. Freaking. Way.

Suddenly, he raised his hand, and for a moment she was sure he was going to grab her, maybe shake her and give her a proper scolding. But instead it fell on her cheek, the back of his fingers brushing against it, a surge of excitement ran through her, made her face heat and her knees weak.

"Alright," he said, voice low and soft, "I want you to be mine, and mine alone."

Then he closed the distance between them, parting his lips as he let them meet hers. She was pressed against the wall, her hands shooting up to his neck, pulling him closer, closer, oh she wanted him _closer_.

Leo wrapped his arms around her waist, and she wrapped hers around his neck, pressing her tender breasts against his plastron and it felt so, so _good_. His tongue swept inside her mouth, warm and gentle and slow, it drove her crazy, her own tongue circling his, desperate for more. She wanted to satisfy that yearning, her craving to finally have him in her grasp - yet he robbed her of that, forced her to take it slow, to submit to his pace. She was standing on her toes, reaching for him, scratching the upper-part of his shell in frustration.

_You're selfish_, she thought, wished she could tell him that - that he was being horribly selfish and cruel, but she wouldn't break away from the kiss. _Couldn't_ break away from it.

A cough startled them both, Leo being the first to pull away, as if he'd been shot in the back.

Tiger Claw was standing in the doorway, arms crossed and nose wrinkled. Karai would've laughed at that, but she was too ecstatic from the kiss, could almost feel Leo's lips still on hers, the taste of his tongue still fresh in her mind. "Master Shredder," Tiger Claw said, "could I have a word with you?"

Leo took another step away from Karai, and she could see how stiff his shoulders were, the strained look on his face, "Of course," he answered, not sparing Karai a single glance as he walked towards him. But Karai didn't mind. In fact, she felt like she'd just won a battle, the exhilarating feeling of victory filling her to the point of giddiness.

Leo had said it. He was hers now.

They'd be together.


	4. What She Gets

**4.**

Two days passed.

They were gaining ground against the Purple Dragons, mostly thanks to Leo and Karai's leadership. Karai would do the dirtier jobs, bringing a small troop of Foot soldiers to intimidate and sabotage the Purple Dragons activities, spread the rumor that Shredder was in town.

And he was going to destroy all who oppose him.

It was satisfying to see gang after gang surrender turf to them - some even decided to become allies with the Foot to keep their power. Karai was put in charge of cleaning these gangs up, assigning them with new directions as well as a leader that was loyal to the Foot.

Another thing that brought her insane amounts of amusement was that she had to bring Bradford along. The man seemed to loathe taking orders from her, often questioning her decisions and trying to win as many arguments with her as possible. But despite his efforts, Karai always came out on top. And the look on his face left Karai with a bigger sense of accomplishment than anything else in the world.

All of it kept her busy, the few times she saw Leo it was from a distance, and there was no time to have any discussions regarding their relationship.

She felt like she might explode with impatience.

* * *

><p>Xever came to see her one morning during practice.<p>

Her first instinct was to hide - which was stupid, where could she possibly hide in here? - but after that she felt a bit guilty. She had never meant to throw Xever into the mess that was hers and Leo's relationship, in fact, she'd been really interested in him since the first time she saw him. Maybe not romantically, but from the way he looked at her and had touched her that time in the dojo, she doubted that he was particularly interested in anything else but a bit of fun.

Still, she couldn't avoid him or try and sugarcoat it, and she definitely couldn't keep fooling around with him like she had before.

"Hello there," he said with a silky voice as he scanned her body. His gaze made her aware of the fact that she only had a tank top and a pair of tights on.

"Hello," she answered, a bit less enthusiastic. She hated the fact that his incredibly hot Brazilian accent _still_ made a pleasant shiver run up her spine, "you're up early."

"So are you," he moved ever closer, and she started to realize she had to say something before it got _really_ awkward.

"I need to make something clear," Karai said in a voice that made him stop two steps away from her, "Something came up and… you're very handsome."

He blinked at her, then his expression turned amused, "I am glad you wanted to make that clear."

This was going terribly, and she flustered on the inside, tried again: "What I meant to say is, while I would love to continue this relationship it's… not possible, right now."

Xever didn't seem too offended, but he did cross his arms, tilting his head slightly, "Really? How come?"

She made a pained face, "It's a bit complicated."

He observed her a moment, then nodded, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender, "I would never force you into anything," he shot her a grin, "but if you ever changed your mind…"

Karai returned his grin with one of her own, "If that happens, I'll give you a call."

* * *

><p>The messenger came to her two days later.<p>

She still hadn't seen much of Leonardo - the last time they'd met was during a briefing where they went over how much turf they'd recovered, and gained, since they arrived. Bradford was there, looking constipated as Leo highlighted the man's failures in a brilliantly passive aggressive way that made it extremely hard for Karai not to laugh.

Sometime during the meeting she'd brushed her fingers against Leo's, and he'd responded the playful gesture with a gentle stroke of his own.

But he didn't meet her eyes when she glanced up at him.

The ninja came from Leo's personal guard, which was a clear indicator that this was important. She ordered her men to step out of the room where they usually went over plans and shared information regarding their activities. Once gone, she turned towards the messenger and allowed him to speak.

"Master Shredder has sent me to inform you about the New York fraction's future."

Karai frowned. Leo had sent one of his personal guard for that? Wouldn't that be something they'd discuss together? "Go on."

"He has decided it would be best for you to remain here to rule the clan in his absence."

The world around her stopped.

It took her several moments to truly understand what the ninja had just said. Remain here. In America. In his absence.

His _absence_.

"He…" she coughed, her throat restricting, chest aching to a point where she felt as if she could barely breathe, "He will be returning to Japan?"

The ninja nodded, "In three days."

_This can't be real, _she thought, taking a step back, _He said we would…_

Her footsteps were loud against the floor as she made her way out of the room.

* * *

><p>Karai was a furious whirlwind when she approached him, walking at an alarmingly fast pace. He saw her coming, turned towards her, "Karai, I know you are-"<p>

That's all he had time to say before she slammed her fist into his face.

Leo staggered backwards, managed to regain his composure, lifting his hand to his face and wincing in pain. Karai panted, anger still seeping out of her every pore, boiling in her blood and making her dig her nails into the palms of her hands, "Why?!" she screamed, tears burning in her eyes, "How could you do this to me?!"

"Karai, I-"

"Do you even care about me?!" she didn't care about an explanation - she didn't really need one, "You say you want me, but you keep pushing me away! Do you think I'm something you can have whenever you feel like it and then just throw away?!"

Leo's eyes widened, he reached out for her, "No, you know I would never-"

She slapped his hand away, "But you did! And you couldn't even say it to my face! You are a heartless coward, Leonardo, and I can't believe I ever wanted to be with you." Without sparing him another glance, she stormed past him down the hall, ignoring Leo's calls for her to come back.

* * *

><p>The cold wind struck her face as she ran along the rooftops.<p>

The sunset bathed everything in a soft, golden glow, long shadows playing on the ground. Her breath came in steady pants, almost-sobs that made it harder to run. She rubbed her eyes with her forearm, refused to acknowledge the aching in her chest.

She couldn't believe he would do this to her. It wouldn't have been so bad if he'd just made everything clear from the beginning, if he hadn't started making promises, if he hadn't pulled the rug out from underneath her feet.

Karai had to stop to catch her breath, leaning against one of the chimneys on the rooftop she'd ended up on. She rubbed one of her hands against her chest, as if she was about to have a heart-attack - that's what it felt like, anyway.

Her face felt warm, hot with shame and withheld tears. She hadn't cried since father's funeral, and she wouldn't allow herself to cry over someone who didn't deserve it.

A sound startled her.

Karai spun around, scanned the area. All she heard now was the wind, but there was still a presence, something lurking nearby. She placed a hand on the handle of her sword.

A footstep, and then their blades clashed together.

It was a ninja clad in a dark, almost wine-red suit. She jumped back, saw in her peripheral vision how more ninjas emerged from the shadows. They surrounded her with raised weapons, some of them carrying chains that rattled when they moved. She counted to about ten of them.

"Who are you?!" Karai asked, but, as she'd expected, the only answer was silence.

There was a beat. Then one of the ninjas threw his chain at her.

She dodged, the chain falling flat on the ground as another chain came shooting at her. This time she caught it with her blade, pulling it back and slammed down on it with her foot, but had to let go when a ninja came charging at her, naginata swinging towards her chest.

But just as she dodged that attack, another ninja came after her, and another one. She kicked, punched, struck blow after blow and knocked down ninja after ninja - yet more kept coming.

She was severely outnumbered.

Karai reached into her belt pocket for a smoke bomb, but in that moment of weakness, a ninja attacked her, distracting her long enough for another to wrap a chain around her wrist. She pulled at it, then another one took her other wrist.

Four of them jumped her, holding her down, forcing her on her knees while she lashed back and forth, trying to get loose, "Let me go!"

They ignored her, forcing her on the ground and tying her with the chains. She kept struggling, even though she knew it was fruitless.

She'd been stupid. Careless. She should have never ran out on her own.

"Be careful," a voice said, footsteps approaching her, "we don't want her injured, now do we?"

Karai wasn't at all surprised to found out he was behind all this.

"Bradford!" She tried to look up, but could only see a glimpse of his legs, "You traitor!"

"Gag her," Bradford said.

"I'll have your head for this!" Karai yelled, before a dirty piece of cloth was pushed so deep into her mouth that she almost choked on it. She was pulled upwards, and now she could see the man dressed in the same way the other ninjas were. He gave her a sly grin, and she responded with a death glare.

"Bring her here."

Her legs were bound, so two ninjas had to grab her arms and drag her forwards. She didn't struggled, just kept her eyes on Bradford.

The man reached out and grabbed her, swinging her effortlessly over his shoulder. Karai let out a grunt when her stomach hit his shoulder. Barely a second later, his hand snaked up along her thighs, higher and higher…

Her face flushed in both anger and humiliation, and she pulled back to slam her knees against his chest.

Bradford hissed, "You…" he took a proper hold on her legs, turned to his men, "Let's go."

They bowed, and Karai could only squirm helplessly in Bradford's strong grip as he carried her along the rooftops.

* * *

><p><strong>I am SO SORRY this part took FOREVER. Real life came in the way. <strong>


	5. What She Learns

**Wow so uuh, yeah, this fic isn't dead yet I guess lmao. It's been almost a year and I apologize for that, but here finally is the next chapter.**

* * *

><p><strong>5.<strong>

Although Karai had only been to Bradford's dojo once, she immediately recognized the building when it came into view. They slid in through a backdoor, then down into a basement. It was littered with crates and boxes, some ninja equipment… nothing out of the ordinary to her. She sucked in a deep breath of air through the gag. Her head felt heavy - probably from a lack of oxygen - and she wished she could tear the gag out and shove it up Bradford's-

Bradford grabbed her, pushed her up against one of the walls. Before Karai could do much else but wriggle, two of the ninjas began to chain her against the wall. She let out muffled curses at them, managed to give one of them a cracked rib, another a black eye, but in the end she found herself hands above her head, tied to the wall.

They backed away, stood in a half-circle in front of her. Bradford approached to pull the gag out of her mouth.

Karai coughed, took a deep breath, "How could you betray the Foot Clan?!" her voice was hoarse, filtered with newfound anger, "You were one of my father's most loyal men. He trusted you-"

"Which is precisely why _I_ should be in charge of the Foot Clan," Bradford said, dropping the gag on the floor, "not the mutant freak who dares call himself the Shredder."

"Leonardo was assigned by Oroku Saki himself!" Karai snapped, "You dishonor his memory by questioning his decision."

Bradford's mouth twisted into a snarl, "If he'd known what the Foot Clan would become in his absence then he wouldn't have made that freak leader."

"What are you talking about?"

"The rest of the clan might be terrified of him because of his appearance, but he is soft. Weak. He could have destroyed the Hamato Clan, but instead he made them our allies," He let out a bitter laugh, "After all the wrongdoings that Clan has done towards us. The Shredder would be ashamed."

Karai grit her teeth, "There's no honor in being a senseless killer."

"I couldn't allow him to stain our name," Bradford said, ignoring her, "so I needed a reason big enough for him to come _here_."

It took a moment, then all the pieces fell into place, "The Foot was never in any danger of losing their influence of New York…"

He smirked at her, "Did you really think I was _that_ incompetent?"

She couldn't believe it. It had all been… staged? "But the Purple Dragons…"

"I offered to split the city between the both of us. Of course, that is a promise I don't intend to keep." He moved closer, cupping Karai's cheeks and rubbing his thumb softly over her chin, "But there is a place for you in the new Foot clan, Karai. I could use a skilled kunoichi like you by my side…"

She glared at him for a moment, but then she began to smirk, inching closer, speaking in a low, seductive voice; "I_ am _quite impressed you came up with such a… _brilliant_ scheme."

He grinned, moved closer.

And that's when Karai pulled back, then immediately slammed her forehead against Bradford's nose.

There was an extremely satisfying crack from the action, accompanied by a pained grunt from the man himself.

"You-!" He put a hand over his nose, groaning and wincing.

Pain flared from Karai's forehead, but a small grin played on her face. _Worth it._

Bradford continued to whine a moment, then he snapped his nose back in place. He pulled his hand back, giving Karai a sharp slap across the face. She had expected it, only letting out a small whimper. The light headache had started to form into full-out nausea. She spit blood on the ground, went back to glaring at him, "You've made a big mistake."

Bradford wiped the blood off his face, let out a breathy laugh, "The Foot Clan will be better off without its so-called _Shredder_."

"That's not what I meant," she narrowed her eyes further, "I'm going to kill you for touching me."

They measured each other in silence. Bradford opened his mouth to speak, but a voice by the doorway interrupted him: "Bradford!"

Karai's chest tightened. She recognized that voice but, no, it couldn't… She raised her head, peered past the crowd and let her eyes settle on the man who just entered the room.

"Xever," Bradford said, his voice had gotten a strange kind of nasal tone to it, probably due to Karai breaking his nose, "how nice of you to finally join us."

Xever only met Karai's eyes for a second, but it was enough for Karai to know that he wasn't here to save her. "What is this?" He asked, pointing at Karai, "Why is _she_ here?"

"She's an... insurance."

"This was not part of the plan."

Bradford stepped closer, trying to be intimidating - which looked kind of ridiculous considering Xever was so much taller than him, "The plan has changed."

Xever squinted his eyes at Bradford, "You never said we would get Karai involved."

"We're only using her as bait," Bradford brushed past him, "Watch over her, I will prepare the clan for the freak's arrival."

Xever made a face, crossing his arms and watching Bradford and his men exit.

The silence lay heavy between them. Karai kept her face turned downwards, pulling uselessly at the chains. It was as if her insides crumbled whenever she looked at the man she'd felt affection for - not just as a potential lover, but as someone she could trust to protect her clan. He'd been in on it too? Was there anyone she could trust anymore?

"I never meant for you to get hurt," Xever's words snapped her out of her thoughts, and her blood ran cold.

"Well, you failed," She sneered, "Working for Bradford? I thought you were better than this."

"I am not working _for_ him," The frustration was clear in his voice, like the mere idea disgusted him.

"Really? Then why is he calling all the shots?"

Xever's mouth twisted downwards. He looked away with a scoff, "You're the one to talk, taking orders from that… _monster_ that has replaced master Shredder."

"He's not a monster," Karai snapped back, "He just wants people to fear him, he _needs_ that to fill our Father's shoes. He cares about the people in this clan, Xever. More than Bradford ever could."

"So you say," Xever gave her a knowing look, "but I know where your favor lies."

Despite herself, heat blossomed from her neck to her ears, "My favor lies in this clan. If Leo ever screwed up, I'd take him down in a heartbeat, but he hasn't - not yet. There's a reason my father picked him over Bradford." She nailed him with her gaze, "Don't make me beg, Xever."

One heartbeat. Two. Three. Karai held her head up, relentless, as Xever stood motionless before her, quiet, contemplating. Then he sighed deeply, and his face split up into an amused smirk.

"You're very hard to resist, you know that, Karai?"

* * *

><p>She ran up the stairs into the actual dojo. The further up the stairs she went, the louder the sounds of battle became. She took the last stretch two steps in a row and burst out the door and into the dojo.<p>

A red ninja was immediately there to greet her, swinging his blade at her face. She ducked, sweeping his legs and leaving him gasping for air on the ground. Wherever she looked there were people fighting, Foot clan and Bradford's men alike, but it was not hard to miss Leonardo as he stood, in full armour, fighting alone against Bradford and five of his men.

_Bradford you coward,_ she thought, seeping with hatred as she began to make her way towards them.

Easier said than done, the area was cloaked in complete chaos - black clad ninjas striking at anything red and red ninjas striking at anything well, _not_ red.. Karai lost count of how many fell at her hand - she had her eyes set on Leo and Bradford. From the short glimpses she could catch, she saw that they were equally matched. Leo needed an edge. He needed _her_.

Finally, Karai ran the last couple of steps and leaped forward, stabbing one of the ninjas in the back.

Leo whipped around, eyes wide in surprise. "Karai?"

That second of confusion was all Bradford needed. He moved forward, aiming a jab at Leo's gut with his sword. Leo dodged in the nick of time, but the blade left a deep cut in his right arm, blood gushing out of the open wound.

"_Leo!_" Karai stepped over the body lying in front of her and leaped at Bradford, forcing him to retreat. He seemed about as surprised as Leo did at her sudden appearance, but before neither of them could ask any question she raised her sword again, continuing her onslaught on Bradford, angry yells leaving her at each strike.

She was so focused on hitting Bradford's smug face that she almost didn't see him pull out a pair of kunai. He jumped back, throwing them at her in a fluid motion. One of them grazed the side of her head, leaving a shallow cut in her cheek, the other scratched against her shoulder armour. It didn't hurt, but it was enough to make her tumble backwards in surprise - right into Leo. His strong hands settled firmly on her waist, keeping her steady.

The Foot ninjas had won enough ground to come and defend their master, and now surrounded the two like a human shield.

"You couldn't have brought more people to this fight?" She asked, straightening up to look at him.

Leo let out a stiff laugh, "I would've. If most of them hadn't turned out to be traitors."

"Are you serious?!"

"Afraid so," A pause. "I acted like an idiot. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you did. But why?"

"Let's save the explanation for later, okay?"

Then the battle began once more.

Swords clashed, some ninjas fell while others stood victorious. Karai and Leo were caught in the crossfire, fighting off red ninjas side by side, like a deadly duo. In the midst of the chaos, Karai saw a figure trying to sneak towards the exit.

"Bradford!" She called, leaping forward with her sword raised, aiming a swing at his side.

The shout alerted him, and he was able to block her sword with his own just in time. But she didn't give him any time to relax, as she spun around, striking once more. An ice-cold fury was guiding her movements, all she could think of was making this scum pay for betraying the Foot Clan.

_He's strong,_ she thought through the haze of battle, steading the grip on her katana, going for a new strike,_ but I'm stronger._

"You're a fool, Karai!" Bradford said, parrying another hit, "You and I could have ruled this clan, taken it to new heights, to-"

She kicked him in the gut, making him stumble backwards.

"_Never._" She said as she clenched her fist, dug her feet into the ground, then punched him straight in the chin with all her might.

The thud when his body his the ground was almost as satisfying as breaking his nose. He groaned, squirmed like a worm on the dirty floor. She lowered her sword with a grin, stepping over and slamming her foot on his chest.

"Now," she said, putting the tip of her sword against his neck, meeting his terrified eyes with an expression of pure malice, "About you _touching me_ earlier…"

"Karai, wait!"

_Here comes the fun police._ She pursed her lips, watched and waited as Leo and the soldiers he'd brought moved closer. Bradford's ninja were either lying on the ground (dead or unconscious) or had managed to get away in the commotion. Karai didn't care, she knew they were just followers with no mind of their own. Bradford was the real threat.

"Why should I wait?" Karai snapped at Leo, "This man is a traitor! He-"

"I know. And he will pay," he glanced down at Bradford, who glared back at him, "But I want to interrogate him first."

"You won't get anything out of me, you disgusting fr-"

Karai lifted her foot just so she could kick Bradford over the head. The man passed out instantly.

Leo gave her a stern look.

"What?" She smirked, "I didn't kill him."

Before Leo could scold her, a noise at the door alerted them all. Tiger Claw entered with a small group of Foot ninja.

Karai tensed - who knew who else would turn out to be a traitor today? - but she noticed Leo relax as Tiger Claw approached them, "I'm afraid you came a bit too late."

"I can see that," Tiger Claw looked down at Bradford with distaste, "We rounded up the some of the Purple Dragons, they confirmed their involvement in this farce."

"Bradford told me the gang war was just a trick," Karai turned to Leo, "A trick to get to _you_."

"He planned to kill me and take over the clan?" Leo said, a frown on his face. "Bold."

"More like 'foolish'," Karai said, "Did he really think he could turn the clan against you?"

To her surprise, Leo's frown only grew deeper. Did… did _Leo_ think Bradford could? She opened her mouth to speak, but Leo raised his hand to silence her.

"We need to clean up this mess. Tiger Claw, interrogate Bradford, weed the traitors out. Karai, get your wounds treated and gather what's left of your team. We must re-establish the Foot Clan's dominance of this territory. Fast."

"And what about you?" Karai asked, watching as Leo turned his back to her.

"I have something… something I must do." He said, not even sparing her a glance as he left. She remained still for a moment, only tore her gaze from the door when they began to pick Bradford's unconscious body off the floor. Was this why Leo had asked her to stay? Had he already suspected treachery in this fraction of the Foot? Was it because… because she was the only person he trusted?

Karai shook her head. It didn't excuse everything else, it didn't excuse the kisses, the promise…

All the events of tonight seemed to hit her all at once. It'd been easy to ignore her pain and exhaustion in the heat of battle, but now… Every muscle in her body screamed, every bruise and cut stung. She'd never been so hungry and thirsty in her entire life. She dragged herself forward, followed her people as they made their way to the awaiting vans outside. One of the ninja helped her get into a passenger's seat.

Then she slid into a restless sleep.


	6. What She Knows

**Last part before the epilogue! This one might get a bit intense...**

* * *

><p><strong>6.<strong>

When Karai awoke, she felt the slightly sticky band aid that was attached to her cheek. It took her a few seconds to realize she was in the Foot Clan Infirmary. She could hear murmurs, soft beeping of machines, rushed footsteps and groaning patients. Hospital sounds. They always managed to calm her.

It meant that she had survived.

She threw the blanket aside and rose to saunter off into the bathroom. Of course Leo was nowhere to be seen, he was probably busy trying to fix the mess Bradford had caused. How could there have been so many traitors right under their noses?

Karai slammed the lid to the toilet shut and exited the bathroom. Her armour had been draped over a nearby chair, she picked up only the jumpsuit for now, her body too tired and worn to wear the heavy pieces of metal too.

She had to talk to Leonardo.

Karai swatted away a nurse and made her way out of the infirmary and into the main base. Shredder had a separate "office"-like room whenever the throne room seemed like too much, and that's where Leo prefered to conduct most of his business.

She spotted him as soon as she opened the door. He was hunched over the desk, reading a piece of paper with a grim look on his face. Before she could open her mouth he said:

"I've sent word to Mashimi, she'll send someone to take over here when we leave."

Karai paused for a moment. Oyuki Mashimi, she remembered her - skipping practice together, sneaking out, dyeing each others hair… It had been years since she'd properly talked to her old friend. Was she that high up in the Foot now that Leo trusted her with such tasks? But the thought of Oyuki faded at Leo's last words. "So, I'm allowed to come with you now?"

He paused, and she didn't know whether to get amused or angered by his hesitation.

"Yes," Leo said, "I don't want to leave you here after... recent events."

_Alright, angry it is._ "You think I can't handle myself."

"That is _not _what I meant-"

Karai threw her hands up, "Thenwhat _do_ you mean, Leo?! I can let you go, I can let _us_ go but then _you_ have to let go too!"

Her words rung in the silence that stretched between them. She saw Leo crumble before her, his shoulders slumping in a deep sigh. He slid down on the bench nearby, made a tired motion for Karai to take a seat next to him. She followed obediently, keeping her eyes on him, waiting for him to start talking.

"I wasn't supposed to tell you this until you were ready," he wouldn't meet her questioning look, instead focusing on a spot on the floor, "but I guess you are."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just listen," Leo snapped, raising a hand to rub the back of his head in irritation, "When master Shredder died, he had clear instructions on how to proceed without him. I've been following them these past couple of years without any bigger problems. Until now." He let out another sigh, and now he finally looked at Karai, his blue eyes shimmering with sadness, "This could have all ended catastrophically. And that's why I think it's a sign for me to step down."

One second. Two. Then it hit her, "Wait, _step down_?"

"Karai, _you_ are the true heir to the Foot Clan. I was ever only a stand-in until you were ready to take my place. And… you _are_ ready. _Have_ been, for a long time."

This was all just…. _too much_. She stood up, couldn't sit still anymore, "This… You want _me_ to be the new Shredder?"

"No," Leo said, "I want you to be the_ leader_ of the Foot Clan. The Shredder was a name I borrowed, you don't need it."

_At least he still knows how to flatter me._ She felt a growing anticipation in her stomach. Oroku Karai, Mistress of the Foot Clan? It sounded too good to be true. _And maybe it is_, she thought, resisting the urge to bite her lip nervously, "But Father made you-"

"Karai, don't you understand?" He rose, and Karai took a step backwards in surprise. He sounded worked up, angry almost. Why? Did he feel _threatened_ by her? Then why did he even suggest stepping down for her in the first place?

Before she could say anything he continued: "Master Shredder had planned it this way. You are supposed to take my place."

"Wait, what do you mean?"

He let out another sigh, and now pure, hot fury flared up inside her. How dare he treat her like some troublesome child? What kind of secrets had he and Father kept from her? She stepped forward, grabbed him by the collar and pulled him closer, "What. Do. You. Mean?"

She could feel his breath as it tickled against her skin, the slow, steady beating of his heart, his peculiar, salt-like scent. If she wasn't so furious it might have made her excited, but all she could think about was his words and the idea that there had been important plans made about her without her consent.

Leo took a gentle hold of her hands, "You were always meant to lead the Foot Clan after Master Shredder's passing. But his death forced him to change those plans. He realized he hadn't fully prepared you for the responsibility, so he made me his successor," he pried her hands away, but didn't let them go yet, "He told me to keep a close eye on your progress as second-in-command, and to give the position up to you once you were ready."

"But why didn't you tell me-"

"Because those weren't my orders. Shredder was hoping…" Leo swallowed, his gaze flickered, and he finally let go of Karai's hands.

All that anticipation began to twist into something else. Leo looked… he didn't look okay.

He looked _scared_.

Karai couldn't help herself, she reached up, pressing her palm against Leo's cheek, "What? What is it?"

He moved away from her touch, and just like that, the hesitation and fear were gone from his face. All that remained was cold determination, "With the most recent events in mind, this is a perfect time for you to strike."

Her arms dropped to her sides, "What?"

"You must challenge me," he met her stare with eyes made of steel, "to a fight to the death."

The laughter caught in her throat. He wanted her to…? To the _death_?

"You can't be serious."

But she didn't have to look at him long to realize he was.

It felt as if her heart shattered, she shook her head, "Leo, I'm not going to _kill _you…"

"It's your duty, Karai," he said, and it terrified her to hear his voice so… hollow. Dead. "It is your destiny to kill me, such as it is mine to be killed by you."

"No!" Karai clenched her fists, "No, it's not! Did Father tell you this? Because there has to be-"

"This clan no longer trust me. If you do not step up, it will fall apart."

This couldn't be happening. This was crazy! She continued to shake her head, took a step towards him, reached out to him. If she could make him remember what they had - the kisses, the battles, the talks, when they were young and he'd help her train and sat with her and shared- "Leo, I can't- I lo-"

He stepped past her.

"It didn't mean anything."

It was like she couldn't see Leonardo leave, but she could feel it. His steps as they crossed the room, the brush of his cape that carried his scent, the words that lingered, stuck to her and tore at her insides.

Then he was gone. And she was alone.

Tears had begun to gather in her eyes. How could he say… it didn't mean _anything_?

She dug her nails into her palms, her body shaking in muffled sobs.

Leonardo. Father. They had planned this all along?

Karai dried her tears, her body filling with determination.

Alright, she would play their game. But she'd play it her way.

And she would _win_.


	7. What She Loves

**7.**

_It hurts me to see you like this, my love. _

_You're scared, confused. But this is your destiny. This is what you were meant to be. Your sympathies are wasted, your love is wasted. You cannot let it stand in your way._

_And if you can't do what must be done, Karai._

_Then_ _I_ _will._

END OF WHAT SHE LOVES

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><p><strong>Yes my friends, that's the end of What She Loves... but not the end of the story. The sequel, "How She Loves" is in the process of being written right now! In the meantime, I will start posting a new story called "Withering Lily", another Leorai story that focuses heavily on Karai. You can find info about it on my fic blog in the "fics" section. <strong>

**Hopefully "How She Loves" will be out in a few months, so please be patient my dear readers! :)**


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